Post by robertsjohn378 on Nov 30, 2018 12:36:51 GMT -4

Hello Everyone,

For anyone with an interest in basic human rights and religious freedom, I’d like to bring your attention to a tragedy taking place in the Republic of Korea (yes, South Korea - not north). I’d like to ask you two questions. Do you believe that everyone should have the freedom to believe in whatever they want to believe in, as long as it doesn’t threaten another individual or organisation? Do you believe that religious freedom is one’s basic human right that must be protected? If so, let me tell you about a heinous practice called ‘coercive conversion’.

In July 2016, a young woman called Ji-In Gu was forcibly taken to a Catholic monastery by her parents after being deceived by ‘pastors’ of the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) that her daughter had fallen into a ‘cult’. After receiving emotional and psychological abuse for refusing to agree to ‘conversion education’ over a period of 44 days, she escaped. On 4th June 2017, she wrote and sent a letter to the then-president of Korea pleading with him to bring her captors to justice and to criminalise this practice. She signed off her letter “I hope there won't be any more victims like me”. In January 2018, she was dead. She had been kidnapped a second time and died of asphyxiation in her struggle to escape. Coercive conversion is a programme designed by the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) designed to forcibly convert one’s religion to another against their will.

According to Human Rights Association for Victims of Coercive Conversion Programs (HRAVCCP), two people have been killed and over 1000 have forcibly received coercive conversion education from 2003-2017, with other cases including imprisonment and enforced hospitalization in psychiatric wards. The other victim was hammered to death by her ex-husband on 7th October 2007 for refusing to renounce her religious beliefs.

Even though rallies have been held in 23 cities in 15 countries since January 2018, the Korean government continues to remain silent about this matter. However, news circulated again and a news feature was broadcast on NBC and most recently, an article published in the New York Times.

If you believe all human rights - including religious freedom - must be protected, please join in the protest against the Christian Council of Korea and Coercive Conversion and support religious freedom. Get informed, get involved and help protect victims like Ji-In Gu. Please see the below pages

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